Viewed from a distance, Port-au-Prince seems a pleasant and mellow Caribbean port city: Once one is out on the streets though, the fact that all is not well in Port-au-Prince soon becomes apparent. And the January 12, 2010 earthquake only served to push Haiti closer to the top of the Failed States Index… Destruction, dysfunction … Continue reading
Great songs from the 80’s? The top 80’s songs? The best songs of the 80’s? I recognize that compiling a unique list of the best songs of the 1980s is a highly subjective process open to a great amount of debate and discussion. I have endeavored to select songs that are still good. As such, … Continue reading
Liberian mercenaries returning from western Ivory Coast tell of fighting for both sides in Ivory Coast’s civil war, killing civilians, raping women, and destroying villages as they went. (This excerpt is sourced from an article by Emily Schmall and Mae Azango) One commander of a unit of more than 30 Liberian mercenaries who returned days … Continue reading
It’s interesting walking on the same streets that were once strolled by Christopher Columbus and Sir Francis Drake… On the edge of this square is the oldest cathedral in the Americas (consecrated in 1521). Continue reading
Moldova can get very cold. This picture below is of the ice on the front of our rental car after some time spent in freezing rain – not the easiest driving conditions. And this was in November, so I imagine winter conditions are even more sporty: However, with the weather taken out of the equation, … Continue reading
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Continue reading
Local mining for gold in the village of Mongbwalu in Eastern Congo: Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 